STOCKTON, Calif. – The San Diego Clippers (11-14) went on the road and played the Stockton Kings (18-7) in the first of two games on a back-to-back and lost 123-105 at Adventist Health Arena.
The best team record wise in the west, Stockton was no pushover. San Diego came out strong in the first quarter, scoring a whopping 39 points to have a double-digit lead over the Kings. To credit Stockton however, they fought back in the second quarter to make the Clips’ lead just a single basket at 56-54 going into halftime.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. lit up the stat sheet in this game, scoring 24 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Jalen Adaway also helped San Diego with 20 points of his own, on an efficient 7-13 from the field.
Mason Jones led Stockton with a triple-double of 29 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds.
With the game now closer in score in the second half, it was a dogfight between both teams. After five lead changes and several ties, the Kings took the lead headed into the final quarter. It was at that moment that San Diego really ran out of gas, only scoring 16 points in the fourth to Stockton’s 32, and took the 17 point loss.
Stockton really edged San Diego on the turnovers and the boards, winning both of those statistical categories. San Diego shot a respectable 31% from the 3 point line, something they have been inconsistent with all season long.
Where San Diego really got beat was overall field goal percentage. Just 40% from the field, compared to the Kings’ 51%, on a higher volume as well.
After this loss, the Clippers will stay in Stockton to rematch the Kings. The game is Sunday, March 9 and tip-off is at 2 p.m. PT.